Brace yourselves, NHL fans: The John Tavares sweepstakes are upon us. The 27-year-old center, who has been the face of the New York Islanders for the last nine seasons, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. And he reportedly plans to meet with at least five teams in the near future, including the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, among others. However, it’s a Western Conference squad that looks like the early favorite to land Tavares, FOX Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reported Monday. Tavares, of course, would be a major addition for the San Jose Sharks. At 38 years old, center Joe Thor... NESN.com
Tag: john
Kyrie Irving Hilariously Trash Talks John Wall After Missed Dunk
John Wall had to have known that he was going to receive some grief for his loud gaffe Monday night. In the first quarter of the Boston Celtics’ matchup with the Washington Wizards on Christmas Day, Wall furiously attacked the basket and elevated for a highlight-reel dunk, but the star point guard was denied by the rim in an embarrassing sequence. The TD Garden crowd serenaded Wall with sarcastic applause after the missed dunk, but they weren’t the only ones to get on Wall’s case. On an ensuing possession up the court, Kyrie Irving reminded his cross-court rival of the opportunity he squandered. Although Irving’s snarky remark was pretty funn... NESN.com
Red Sox Notes: John Farrell Provides Update On Mookie Betts’ Injured Knee
There wasn’t much to get excited about for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night in the series finale against the Cleveland Indians. Chris Sale turned in his worst start of the season, as the left-hander was shelled for six runs on seven hits over just three innings of work. Sale wasn’t the only Boston pitcher who struggled, though, as Cleveland collected 18 hits in its 13-6 blowout victory. But the pitching woes weren’t the biggest cause for concern Thursday night. In the seventh inning, Mookie Betts exited the game with a right knee contusion. After the game, Red Sox manager John Farrell provided an update on Betts’ ailment. “It’s a ... NESN.com
John Farrell Praises ‘Presence Of Mind’ Of Rafael Devers On Triple Play
The Boston Red Sox completed a rare triple play in Tuesday night’s 10-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park, and it all started with rookie Rafael Devers. The 20-year-old third baseman immediately recognized the situation, quickly stepped on third base, and fired to second to continue the play. John Farrell praised Devers’ “presence of mind” on the play, and you can check out the Sox manager’s full comments in the “NESN Sports Today” video above, presented by People’s United Bank. ... NESN.com
John Farrell Applauds Red Sox’s Ability To Execute Little Things Vs. White Sox
The Boston Red Sox have been on a roll lately, and a lot of that has to do with their attention to detail. The Red Sox won their fifth straight game Saturday when they defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-1 at Fenway Park. While the Sox launched two home runs in the win, manager John Farrell lauded their ability to execute the little things. To hear Farrell’s postgame comments, check out the video above from “NESN Sports Today,” presented by People’s United Bank. ... NESN.com
John McEnroe Isn’t Apologizing For His Controversial Serena Williams Comments
John McEnroe had a chance to apologize for his controversial remarks about Serena Williams, but he chose a different path. The legendary men’s tennis player has caused quite the stir over the past few days after he said Williams would be ranked No. 700 if she played on the men’s tour. Williams later responded to McEnroe’s comments on Twitter, and McEnroe further addressed the controversy during an appearance Tuesday on “CBS This Morning.” He started out with a complement, saying she’s the greatest women’s tennis player of all time. But when asked if he would apologize, his answer was a resounding, “No.” But while McEn... NESN.com
Kelly Olynyk Just Earned A Place Alongside John Havlicek In Celtics History
John Havlicek stealing the ball is one of the most iconic moments in Boston Celtics history. But on Monday night, the Basketball Hall of Famer was equaled by none other than Kelly Olynyk. (On paper, at least.) How is this possible? Well, Olynyk tallied 26 points off the bench in Boston’s series-clinching, Game 7 win over the Washington Wizards at TD Garden. That’s the most points by a Celtics reserve player in a postseason Game 7 since — you guessed it — Havlicek, who dropped 26 points off the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. Olynyk’s 26 points also were the most by any NBA reserve in a